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Green Lantern Writer Wants American Gods Star As John Stewart

With rumors indicating John Stewart could be one of the lead's in Green Lantern Corps, screenwriter Michael Green already knows who he would cast in the role. When Warner Bros. announced their slate of DC films back in 2014, fans were excited to see that Green Lantern Corps was on the docket. Not only would it help wash away the stain of 2011's failed Green Lantern, but the movie looked set to introduce a more space-focused film with multiple Lanterns. It only makes sense that fan-favorite John Stewart will be part of the team.

John Stewart debuted in the world of DC Comics back in 1971, as a backup for Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern overseeing Earth and the surrounding sector of space. He struck a chord with a new generation, however, as the Green Lantern featured in the animated Justice League TV series in the 2000s. For years, Tyrese Gibson has expressed his own interest in tackling the role in a film, including Green Lantern Corps. One of the screenwriters of the 2011 Green Lantern, however, has anther actor in mind for the role.

Yahoo! Movies UK spoke with Michael Green about the misfire that was 2011's Green Lantern and whether the writer would ever want to tackle the eponymous character again. Knowing that DC is planning to make Green Lantern Corps and John Stewart is almost certainly involved, Green decided to pull from his work on American Gods and throw the show's star into contention for the role:

"I’ll probably get angry texts if I don’t say what’s in my heart which is that Ricky Whittle would make a fantastic John Stewart."

Since Green Lantern bombed, Green has gone on to have a very successful career. This year alone saw him gain huge acclaim for his work on American Gods alongside Bryan Fuller, and his script for James Mangold's Logan has made Green once again in demand. If anyone has the clout to nominate an actor for the role of John Stewart, it's Green, and Whittle certainly fits the bill.

Though a bit younger than Stewart is typically presented, Whittle has generated lots of buzz thanks to his stellar performance as Shadow Moon on American Gods. Gibson has always been a long-shot for the level-headed and somber Stewart given his lack of dramatic experience, but Whittle is a solid choice. As for whether Green will have any part in crafting Green Lantern Corps, that's yet to be seen, but that doesn't mean he hasn't thought about it:

"I will say that my partners on Green Lantern, Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim, spent a lot of time talking about all the potential for subsequent Green Lantern films and I still love every idea that we discussed I don’t think they will ever come to fruition, not as we imagined them I don’t think. If there’s a Green Lantern Corps to be done it will be all new fresh thinking."

Alongside Green, Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim came up with the story for Green Lantern and all three wrote the script with Michael Goldenberg. Along with Green's success, Berlanti and Guggenheim have built DC a TV empire thanks to the Arrowverse they created. Last year even brought news that Berlanti was working on a Booster Gold movie. There's been little movement on that front, but the idea of Green, Berlanti, and Guggenheim re-teaming for Green Lantern Corps with Whittle as Stewart isn't outside the realm of possibility.